Illinois colleges adopt concealed-carry policies

The new Illinois concealed-carry law won’t have much effect on Illinois college campuses, including those in Springfield.

Even concealed-carry permit holders won’t be allowed to carry firearms on college and university campuses.

“The rules remain largely unchanged,” said Don Mitchell, police chief at the University of Illinois Springfield. “It won’t allow someone with a permit to legally carry a gun outside of their vehicle on university property.”

Mitchell said if a permit-holder has a gun in his or her vehicle, the gun must be stored inside the vehicle in a concealed case and can’t be on public view.

The change to campus policy is that the law will allow those with concealed-carry permits to store firearms in vehicles on campus. But they’re not allowed to remove a firearm from their vehicle while on university property.

The law allows the university to designate specific parking lots for those with a concealed-carry permit, but UIS isn’t implementing such a policy.

Lincoln Land Community College trustees adopted a similar policy at their December meeting.

It says that individuals with a valid Illinois concealed-carry permit, and who are on college property for a legitimate purpose, may store their firearm in a secured container within their vehicle while they’re on campus. The vehicle must be parked in a college lot.

Law enforcement personnel, on-duty armed private security personnel, other government personnel authorized to carry a weapon and retired law enforcement personnel with valid Retired Officer Carry Cards are exempt.

LLCC’s policy doesn’t restrict the carrying of firearms for instruction or curriculum of an officially recognized program such as military science or law enforcement training programs.

There is a provision in the existing law that gives individuals the opportunity to request an exemption allowing them to store a weapon on campus; the police chief is the only one with the power to grant those exemptions.

“Such exemptions will be rarely granted,” said UIS’ Mitchell. “We want to make sure those with concealed-carry permits are educated about the new law before they bring firearms on campus.”

Statewide, those with a permit can carry a handgun as long as it is hidden. If a weapon is being stored in a vehicle, it must be concealed within a case in a locked vehicle or in a locked container that is not in plain view.

Colleges and universities are required to post signs prohibiting firearms at every campus building entrance. The signs depict the universal circle with a gun inside it and a red slash across it.

Mitchell said stickers have been placed on each of the entry doors at UIS and larger signs will be going up soon at the main campus entrances.

Illinoisans can begin applying Sunday for concealed-carry permits through the Illinois State Police website.